Superstore

Our charity Superstore on Portrack Lane opened in May 2014 and has gone from strength to strength, giving us the opportunity to increase awareness of Daisy Chain and to provide a sustainable income to help us to support families affected by autism in the Tees Valley.

Superstore story

In March 2014, the flick of a pen set the seal on a major development at Daisy Chain, when we took over the lease of a warehouse on Portrack Lane in Stockton and transformed it into a charity Superstore.

It signalled the start of a major new development for us in terms of creating new revenue streams to fund its supportive services to families affected by autism.

"What we want to make clear is that this is a far cry from the usual High Street charity shop," said Judith Haysmore, Daisy Chain Chief Executive. "Yes, there will be goods for sale that are no longer wanted by the previous owner, but we are also arranging to take furniture and high quality stock."

"In a sense, it is a real case of back to the future for the head of our trustees, Albert Dicken," Judith said. "We are just yards away from the site of former Dickens Home Improvement hypermarket which, under his managing directorship, expanded in the late 70s and early 80s to become the first massive home improvement store in the North."

Since then, we have moved into the much larger unit next door, formally Dallas Carpets, and demand, donations and customers supporting us have increased at a rapid rate, helping us to have a sustainable income to provide support to our families affected by autism.

It was only when one of our employability students started working in our warehouse, sorting clothes donations to be sold in the superstore, that he came up with a fantastic idea to make the process simpler and more efficient.

In March 2014, the flick of a pen set the seal on a major development at Daisy Chain, when we took over the lease of a warehouse on Portrack Lane in Stockton and transformed it into a charity Superstore...